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Diana Ortiz-Montalvo (Fed)
Research Chemist
Biography
Dr. Diana L. Ortiz-Montalvo is a Research Chemist with the Nano Materials Group in the Materials Measurement Science Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Diana earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR). As an undergraduate student, she worked on various research projects that focused on the chemical and physical characterization of aerosols. She earned her Ph.D. in Environ. Sci. from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). As a graduate student, she studied the formation of secondary organic aerosol through simulated cloud chemistry and droplet evaporation experiments. After earning her Ph.D., she began a two-year postdoctoral position as part of the NRC Research Associateship Program at NIST (Gaithersburg, MD). During her postdoc, she studied the morphology and composition of individual dust particles using advanced microscopy techniques. She reconstructed particles three-dimensionally to study the effect that particle shape and composition have on their optical properties. After her postdoc, Diana continued working at NIST as a permanent staff member developing methods for particle characterization. Currently, she is developing methods for detecting and characterizing microplastic and nanoplastic particles in complex matrices.
Awards
- 2023, DOC 2023 Gold Medal Award
- 2023, NIST Diversity, Inclusivity and Equal Employment Opportunity Award
- 2023, MML Accolades Award for Organizational Excellence - MML Mentor
- 2023, MML Accolades Award for Organizational Excellence - Service and Support to MML
- 2021, NIST Diversity, Inclusivity and Equal Employment Opportunity Award
- 2021, Invited participant to the National Academy of Engineering US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
- 2021, NIST Collaborating for Impact Now (CoIN) Program, lead of successful proposal
- 2019, NIST New Leader Program, Graduate of Class XVII
- 2015, MML Accolade Award for Service to NIST Material Measurement Laboratory (MML).
- 2015, Invited participant, SACNAS Summer Leadership Institute from the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)